Bearing



L. R. HElM BEARING Jan. 12, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 7, 1949 IN'VENTOR ATTORN EYS Jan. 12, 1954 L. R. H ElM 2565,95

BEARING Filed Sept. '7, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Imoentor VFMQM M W attornegs L. R. HEIM BEARING Jan. 12, 1954 Filed Sept. '7, 1949 3 Sheeis-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 12, 1954 BEARING Lewis R. Helm, Fairfield, Conm, assignor to The Heim Company, Fail-field, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application September 7, 1949, Serial No. 114,419 Claims. (01. 308-72) t This invention relates to bearings of the type shown in my prior Patents No. 2,366,688, January 2, 1945, for Method of Making Bearings, and 2,400,506, May 21, 1946, for Rod End Bearing and Method of Making Same.

In the methods of these patents a spherical bearing member is mounted in a support by placing it in an opening or bore in the support and then forcing against this member from the opposite sides thereof a pair of malleable rings or bushings to expand said bushings and cause them to conform on their inner surface to the shape of the bearing member and at their outer surfaces to fill and conform to the shape of the opening or bore. In this operation the bushings tightly grip the spherical bearing member and hold it against movement therein. Therefore in order for the bearing member to have rocking movement it must be loosened in the bushings, which loosening is done as a separate operation in machines for that purpose. This involves considerable expense.

It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a bearing of this type and method of making it in which the bearing member is automatically loosened in the bushings during and as a part of the operation of mounting the bearing.

Another object is to provide a bearing of this type in which there is a lubricating channel about the medial or equatorial line of the spherical bearing member and which channel also provides a reservoir for lubricant.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification. It is, however,to be understood the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction and arrangement shown, but may embody various changes and modifications Within the scope of the invention.

In these drawings:

- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a sweepstick for looms made of yieldable resilient material showing my improved bearing mounted therein;

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation and partial section of the device of Fig. 1, the section being taken through the improved bearing at one end of the sweepstick and also showing in section the two mounting rings for the rocking bearing and indicating part of the operation of mounting the bearing in the body of the sweepstick or other suitable support of resilient yieldable material;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view with certain parts in elevation indicating one form of mechanism for mounting the bearing and the operations of the improved method of so mounting;

Fig. 4 is a section through the two rings or bushings used to mount the spherical bearing member showing substantially their shape before the mounting operation;

Fig. 5 is a section through the bearing in a metal support showing the positions of the parts just before the final action in the method of forming or mounting the bearing;

Fig. 6 is a similar section showing the completed bearing;

Fig. '7 is a detail section showing a modifica tion and the parts in an intermediate position during the operation of forming or mounting the' bearing;

Fig. 8 is a similar section showing the next position;

Fig. 9 is a similar section showing the com pleted bearing of Figs. 7 and 8, a

Fig. 10 is a detail section showing another modification and with the parts in an intermediate position, and

Fig. 11 is a similar section showing the bear ing of Fig. 10 completed.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the bearing is shown by way of example as comprising a housing or body 10 providing a supporting member of any suitable cross section, preferably substantially rectangular as shown, formed of some suitable yielding, resilient, shock-absorbing material, such, for example, as vulcanized rubber or other plastic, which is sufliciently hard and rigid to retain its shape and still has a certain amount of yield, resiliency and flexibility to absorb shocks in operation but still will transmit the necessary force required for this operation. It is shown in the form of a sweepstick for looms and may be a solid bar of this vulcanized rubber or'other' plastic, or it could contain a strengthening fab-T ric with any suitable number of layers of thisfabric (not shown) embedded in or vulcanized in the rubber or other plastic. At one end it; may have a plain bearing II for connection to the mechanism with which it is used. "f At the opposite end it is provided with an improved bearing 12 including an element I3 capable of lateral rocking movement to compen-I sate for misalignment in the parts connected by the sweepstick. As suggested above, a sweepstick is shown merely by way of example, as'the' body lfl may be of any other suitable shape or article of this type of material in which such a bearing is desired, and which forms a support for'this bearing. This member I 3 is of metal,'

the outer surface ['4 of which is spherical, and" it is mounted in two supporting rings or bushings l5 and It also of metal and having a spheri-" cal inner surface I! corresponding with the outer surface of the spherical member [3. 'The body 10 by an improved method, as will be more just back of the abutting edges are curved outwardly into the material of the body member,

as indicated at 20, with the outer walls from this curved portion to the outer edge of the ring being inclined as indicated at 2|, so that the material Hi has a very effective grip on 'the'rings I5 and I6 which will retain them-inproper position and prevent their either loosening up or dropping out of the body orstick. There is also provided between the surfaces of the member [3 and the rings [5 and ii a peripheraljgroove or channel 22 extending about the member l3 at substantially the .center or equator thereof which frees the bearing from the supporting rings at. its equatoras well as forming a lubricatinggroove around this spherical member 13. For supplying lubricant tothis channel it may be provided on one side with an opening 23 in the edges of the rings and I6 communicating with a channel 24 in the body iii leading from any suitable fixture. 25. This may bea fixture adapted for connection to a pressure pump for supplying the proper lubricant to the channel under pressure. This channel further provides a reservoir for lubricant. This construction and arrangement effectively mounts the bearing in the body of the material 10, and the member I3 is capable of rockingmovement in all directions to compensate for any misalignment between the elementstowhich this device is connected, and the bearing may readily be kept properly lubricated at 'all times.

The bearing is mounted inthe body of the member luby'an improved method, illustrated partly in Fig. 2 and partly in Fig. 3. Before mounting the bearing in the member it! this member is provided with-a substantially straight transverse opening therethrough indicated by dotted lines .26, and the diameter of this opening is substantially'equal to the outer diameter 21 of the malleable metal rings or bushings 28 from which the rings i5 and I6 are formed. These two rings 28 have a substantially straight or cylindrical outer wall 2'! and an inner wall which is'substantially straight or cylindrical for aportion of its width as indicated at 29, adjacent the inner end cf the ringand curved substantially spherically at its outer portion 30, adjacent the outer end of the ring. At its inner end the ring isbevelled throughout its periphery, as indicated at 3|, with the bevel inclined backwardly andinwardly from the outer surface of the ring and the edge 21'. The diameter of the surface 29 is about equal to that of the member i=3 as a point32 just insidethe side surface 33 of the body Hi. In mounting the bearing in the member 50 thetwo rings 28 are pressed inwardly simultaneously from opposite sides of the body (0 against the member [3 which is held byany suitable means in dies: in a press, as will'bemore fully described. The inner. edge 34 of therings will first engage the outer-surface of themember [3 just a short distance inside the opening 2! or at about the point 32. Then as the rings are further pressed against the surfaceof the. member l3 the curved surface M will expand the rings, causing the inner end portions of the rings'to follow around this surface forming an inner spherical surface for the rings substantially the same as outer sphericalxsurface l4 .of the .member 13. How- 4 ever, the rings 28 are made somewhat wider than half the thickness of the body l0, so that the inner edges 21' and bevelled ends 31 of the two rings will come together'at the center of the member '13 in the body In, and as they are pressed further together these two bevelled ends or edges will force each other outwardly, causing the flare or bend 20 as indicated in Fig. 2,

and the two bevels will become substantially parallel withthe sides of the member [0 and will abut as indicated at H! in Fig. 2. However, this outward flaring or bending of the inner end portions ofthe rings will also carry a portion of this inner end of the rings away from the surface of the member I3, freeing the member 13 from these rings at its peripheral center or equator and at the same time forming thelubrieating channel 22.

"One mechanism for accomplishing this method of mounting is shown in Fig. 3. This comprises a die shoe 35 adapted to be mounted in'a suitable press below the-verticallymovabl'e press ramst. The shoe 35 is recessedattil to receive the collar 38 provided with pockets '39 for a set of coil springs ML The collar 38 has a reduced portion 4| about a shoulder 42 and the reduced portion 4! is surrounded by a 'slidable sleeve 43 having a flange 44 in the socket 31 and provided with recesses 45 in alignment with the recesses or pockets 39 to receive the upper end of the springs 48. Upward movement of the sleeve 43 is limited by a ring or plate '46 secured over the recess 31 by suitable screws 41. Within the sleeve 63 is a second sleeve or bushing '48 supported by the top surface 45 of the collar 38,-and within this sleeve is a pin extending into the bearing #8 in the member I3 to align this member in the die. The upper end of the opening in the sleeve or bushing 18 is tapered downwardly and inwardly as indicated at 5|, the diameter of the upper and larger end being such as to receive and form a limit stop for the lower end of the member l3, for a purpose presently to be described. In the press ram 36 is a tubular plunger 52 depending therefrom at its lower end and provided with a recess 53 leading upwardly from this lower end in which is located the head 54 of an adjustable screw 55 which is adjustable longitudinally of the plunger 52 and is locked adjusted position by a set screw 58.

In operation, the member [3 is placed on the pin 50 which aligns it with the die, this member I3 being in the straight opening 26 of the body 10. The two rings 28 are placedone above and I one below the member In with their inner bevelled ends 3| extending a short distance into the opening 26 and resting against the spherical surface of the member I3, the plunger 52 of course being "raised suificiently above the bushing 48 to permit these parts to be inserted between them. The body member I0 is supported on the upper end of-sleeve 63. When the plunger 52 is moved downwardly, this member cooperates with the bushing 48 to press the'two rings against the member I3, and as *shown in Fig. 3,'the movement of the plunger is such that the inner bevelled edges of the two rings are brought together and mutual pressure between them, as described above, will expand or force them outwardly, as indicated at 20, to embed these edges in the material of the body l0 and also free the member 13 from these rings at its central peripheral or equator line, as well as form the lubricating channel 22. This actionthus: frees the spheiti cal bearing member 13 from the tight grip of the rings or bushings l5 and I6 at the central or equatorial portion of the bearing member, making it much easier to completely free the bearing from the bushings to permit it to turn or rock freely in these bushings. It will be seen that in this operation, as these rings 23 are expanded the material of the body I about these rings is forced outwardly or expanded, and the inner portions of the ring are curved outwardly andv embedded in this material I0, as indicated at 20, and the remaining outer surfaces are tapered or inclined as shown at 2|. Thus the material of the body III is stressed and as it tends to return to its original position due to its resiliency, it provides a very effective and firm grip on the two finished rings I and I5 which will effectively retain them in proper position in the body I 0, and will also effectively support the member I3.

However, as this expanding action of the member I3 on the two rings would provide a very tight grip on the rocking member I 3, the member l3 must be further loosened up in the rings or bushings I5 and I6 to permits its free rocking movement. This further loosening up to permit proper movement of the member I3 is also secured automatically by action of the device shown in Fig. 3 as a part of the operation of mounting the bearing in the member Ill. For this result, the screw 55 is adjusted so that its lower end 57 will engage the upper end of the member I3 just before the two rings I5 and I6 are completed, and in its final movement this mem. ber 54 will push the member I3 downwardly a very short distance into the recess SI of the inner bushing 48. This movement is very slight, say, for example, only one or two thousandths of an inch, but it will force the outer surface of the member I3 against the inner surface of the ring I6 and will expand this ring slightly as well as move the member I3 downwardly a slight distance relative to the upperring I5. In other words, this slight movement of the member I3 downwardly by the member 54 as the two supporting rings I5 and I6 are completed in the die will provide just enough clearance or freedom between the bearing member I3 and the two rings I5 and I6 to overcome the binding action caused by the expanding action of the rings I5 and I6, so that the member I3 is free to turn in the rings I5 and I6 by a good bearing fit and with no looseness. As the inner edge portions 20 of the rings I5 and I6 are already free from the spherical member I3, there is no binding of the central or equatorial portions of the spherical surface M in the ring I 6 by this forcing of member I3 into this ring. In other words, the bearing member I3 is automatically freed from the binding action of the two rings I5 and Is as a part of the operation of forming and mounting these rings and the member t 3 without any separate operation, as would otherwise be required.

In the modifications of Figs. 5 to 11, instead of mounting the rings or bushings for the spherical bearing member in a supporting member of rubber or plastic such as the body or housing I ll, they are mounted in a housing or body 51 of metal. The two rings or bushings for mounting the'spherical bearing member in this body or housing forming the supporting member are the same as the rings 28 used in the form of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and shown closely together and opposing each other in Fig. 4. In the form of Figs. 5 and 6 the metal housing orbody 51 is provided with a transverse opening which is tapered inwardly and outwardly from its opposite side walls 58, as shown at 59. The entrances to this opening are of substantially the same diameter as the outer diameter 2? of the rings 28, and in mounting the bearing I3 in the housing 51 these rings are forced against the opposite sides thereof, the same as in Figs. 2 and 3, and by the same mechanism. That is, the inner diameter of the rings 28 is such that the inner line 34 of the bevelled inner end of the ring will contact the spherical surface of the bearing I3 just inwardly of the outer side surfaces 58 of the housing, or at about the line 69, corresponding to the line 32 in Fig. 2. Then as the rings are forced together to the full line position of Fig. 5, they will be expanded to con.- form at their inner surfaces with the outer spherical surface of the member I3 and they will also be forced against the tapered surfaces 59 of the opening in the member 57 until their inner edges 2'! abut as shown in Fig. 5. Then as the rings are further forced inwardly these abutting bevelled. edges will mutually press each other outwardly to the position of Fig. 6 and will force their inner end portions away from the surface of the member I 3 to free the central or equatorial portion of the spherical surface from the tight grip of these rings. This could be only sufiicient to free the inner bearing member or it could be more as shown, so as to space the inner surfaces of the rings from the central or equatorial portion of the bearing member to form a peripheral channel 6| about this member. At the same time it will force the inner ends of the rings outwardly to fill the transverse opening of the housing 51. In this position the inner beveled ends 3I of the two rings are in abutment and lie side by side as shown in Fig. 6. This channel 6| may form a lubricating channel for the bearing, and if sufiiciently wide may provide a reservoir for the lubricant to maintain the bearing properly lubricated. An opening 62 may be provided leading from a supply channel 63 for feeding lubricant to this first channel 6!, as described in connection with Fig. 2. It will be evident this forms an effective mounting for the bearing member I3 and that the rings are eifectively held in this position by the tapered walls 59 in the opening in the housing. The bearing member I3 is further freed from the rings or bushings 65 formed in this operation by the slight lateral movement of the member I3 into one of these bushings and away from the other, as described in connection with the apparatus of Fig. 3. Thus the member I3 is free to rock or turn laterally in the bushings without requiring any additional operation.

In the modification of Figs. '7, 8 and 9, instead. of the tapered surfaces 55 of the opening in the housing 51 being carried to the center; they are stopped short of the center at an annular rib 56. Then as the rings 23 are forced into this opening and against the spherical outer surface of the bearing member I3, as described in connection with Figs. 5 and 6, instead of their inner beveled edges abutting each other as described in connection with Figs. 5 and 6, they engage the opposite sides of the rib 65 and by a camming action thereon are forced outwardly away from the surface of the member I3, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, to fill the opening in the housing and to free the central portion of bearing member l3 from the grip of these rings. They may also be forced outwardly sufficiently to form the lubricating channel 87, the

7 inneredge ,ofthe rib .66 heingspaced sufiiciently Hum the surface of the member 13 to permit this.

In the modification of Figs. 10 and 11 the housing filis thev same as that of Figs. 7, 8 and 9, with the peripheral rib :66 at a midpoint between its opposite side surfaces. In this case, however, instead of using the rings 26 with bevelled ends 3.! the rings are used with ends 68 which are at substantially right angles to the outer surface of the ringsor only slightly beveled, and when these rings engage the opposite side surfaces of the ribs 016 they are forced outwardly by this-rib to-the position of Fig. '11, -freeing the central or equatorial portion of the bearingfrom the grip of the rings and forming the hibricating channel .51. The beveled end arrangemen is, howeve met -red In each form f Figs. to, 11 the spherical bearing member i3 is fu the irecd from h upport n in or bushings 5-9 and '10 b the further slight lateral movement of the bearing member I3 into one ring and awayfrom the other, as described in connection with the apparatus and method i1- ustra ed Fis- It will be seen from the above that a new and elicctive bearing is mounted in its support with a single operation and :the bearing is not only properly mounted in position, but it is accurately and completely mounted by a single operation, so that no further operations are required to make it operative. In the form of support shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the two supporting rings or bushings l5; and are properly and eiiectively held by the resilient action of the material of the member i0 and this material is stressed to secure this operation by the operation of mounting the bearing in this material. In the forms of Figs. 5 to 11 theringsor bushings are shaped as they are'forced into'position in the bore or opening in the metal support and against and about the spherical bearing member as described, and are efiectively secured and held in the support by the walls of the bore. In each form the inner end portions of the rings or bushings may be forced outwardly only suflicient to free or loosen their tight grip on the spherical bearing member or they can'be forced further outwardly as shown to provide the channel about the hearing member.

Any suitable material maybe used for the bearing member 13 and the rings l5 and IE, but the preferred material is steel for-the member [3 and bronze or'similar malleablematerial for the rings.

Having thus-set forth the nature of my invention, I- claim:

*1. A bearing structure comprising a support provided with a transverse opening in which bearing elements are mounted, said elements comprising a central spherical bearing member, a pair of supporting rings for said bearing member each having an internal spherical socket to embrace the bearing member and outer walls tapered to increase in diameter inwardly from its outer edge so as to be held by the material of the support, and the inner edge portions of the rings being 'bent and expanded outwardly to'space them'fromthe spherical bearing member to provide a channel about said member.

2. A bearing structure comprising a supporting member provided with a transverse opening, a bearing structurejin said opening comprising a ph r a beariss omem er enclosed et w rings having internal spherical sockets to embrace the bearing member, the outer walls of the rings being tapered to increase in diameter inwardly from the sides of the supporting member and closely fitting said opening to beheld by the sides thereof, the inner edges of the rings being in abutment, and the portions of these rings adjacent-said edges being bent and expanded outwardly so as to be inclined away from the surface of the spherical member sufficiently to loosen their tight grip on said member.

3. A bearing structure comprising a supporting member, a bearing mounted in the member'comprising a spherical bearing member, two enclosing rings having internal spherical sockets embracing the said bearing member, said rings being externally tapered with the largest diameters at their inner edges, and the supporting member being provided with a transverse opening similarly tapered from its opposite sides mounting said rings, the inner edges of the rings being in abutment with the portions adjacent said edges bent and expanded outwardly so as to be inclined away from the surface of the bearing memberproviding a channel about said member, and a supply passage in the supporting member-and at least one of the rings leading to said channel.

4. A bearing comprising a support provided with a transverse opening tapered inwardly and laterally from the'opposite sides of the support, an annular rib projecting into the opening be-. tween the two tapered portions, bearing elements mounted in the opening comprising a central spherical member, a pair of supporting rings for said member each having an internal spherical socket embracing the spherical member and tapered outer walls seated in those of the opening, and the inner end portions of the rings being bent and expanded outwardly so as to be spaced from the spherical bearing member to free the central portion of this member.

5. A hearing structure comprising a housing member provided with a transverse opening tapered inwardly and laterally from the opposite sides of the, housing, an annular rib projecting into the opening between said tapered por tions, aspherical bearing member in said opening, a pair of bushings ,provided with internal spherical sockets embracing and supporting the bearing member and also provided with outer tapered walls seated in those oi the opening, the inner ends of the bushings abutting the oppoe site sides of said rib, and the inner end portions. of the bushings being bent and expanded out-.

' wardly so, as tobespacedfrorn the surface of the spherical bearingmember to provide a channel about said member and free the central portion thereof.

LEWIS R. HEIM.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Gre t Br ain a--,-.-,- Fe 

